EXCLUSIVE: Man Utd legend Peter Schmeichel loves Corrie so much he hides behind the sofa during tense scenes, reveals former Ashley Peacock actor Steven Arnold
11:52, 26 Mar 2026Updated 11:54, 26 Mar 2026
Peter
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Peter hid behind the sofa of a tense Corrie scene(Image: ITV)
Man Utd legend Peter Schmeichel is secretly a huge Coronation Street superfan and even hides behind the sofa during tense scenes. Former Corrie actor Steven Arnold, who played Ashley Peacock, spilled the beans on the football icon’s secret obsession.
“Bill Wyman was opening a club in Manchester called Sticky Fingers, and I went along. I’m a massive Man Utd fan, and Peter Schmeichel came over to me,” the ex soap actor exclusively told the Daily Star in collaboration with Betway.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was three rows up from him, and we were still level. He’s that tall!” Arnold revealed Schmeichel confessed just how into the soap he really gets.
Peter
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Peter is a Man UTD legend(Image: Getty Images)
“He told me he was a massive fan of the show and that when Jim [Charles Lawson] had a go at Liz [Beverley Callard], he was hiding behind the sofa!”
The actor added that fans can take the drama seriously, even when it’s just a TV storyline.
“One woman used to write to me every week. She’d send a bar of chocolate and a can of Coke. She even said, ‘If you ever leave Don’s house, you can always come and live with me,’” he said.
Arnold also reflected on leaving the soap 16 years ago. “I was happy to go. It was time. My only thing was I never wanted to leave in the back of a taxi,” he said.
Steven
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Steven played Ashley Peacock on the soap(Image: ITV)
The former Ashley Peacock star described his dramatic exit for the show’s live 50th anniversary episode.
“They gave me a dramatic death, and it was great. I was proud to be part of it,” he added.
Since leaving the soap, Arnold has been busy on stage. “I love the rush of a live audience; it’s fantastic,” he said.
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He also laughed off recent rumours about switching careers.
“I wasn’t working as a butcher, that was a false story. Not that there’s any shame in being a butcher, it just wasn’t true!”
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